Lisandro Martinez Manchester United setback might be bad news for Raphael Varane

Gone are the days when central defenders were solely in the team to defend. Football has never been more collegiate and while attackers must defend on the front foot, defenders are now required to build attacks as well. The lines between positions are becoming increasingly blurred.

So when Erik ten Hag picked Jonny Evans ahead of Raphael Varane for the Manchester derby, it wasn't because he thought a 35-year-old who was relegated last season was better equipped to stop Erling Haaland than a four-time Champions League winner and a World Cup winner. It was because he felt the balance of his centre-backs on the ball was better with Evans playing on the left than Varane.

Part of that sentence is probably a little unfair on Evans as well. Leicester's relegation was as much about his lack of availability than perhaps anything else. He remains a competent Premier League centre-back. But he's never really been in Varane's class.

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When that selection call to face City was revealed to be tactical, it drew the social media equivalent of gasps. When United lost the game 3-0 it didn't look like a masterstroke but Ten Hag stuck with the pairing of Evans and Harry Maguire to face Fulham, with Varane once again on the bench.

As badly as United have struggled recently, the defence is an area that has shown some signs of improvement and Maguire and Evans are both playing well. But as Ten Hag explained after the derby, his decision is to do with how United build their attacks rather than stop the oppositions.

“When you face City, they will go up to press and then to play with Rapha